Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog

May 7, 2020: Who’s feeling a little stir crazy?

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I say Hell YES!  Gonna get me some duck eggs and experiment tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

Also wish me luck: Akemi feels she has seen enough youtube videos to cut my hair with some confidence.

Guys, I’m going to do it!  Tomorrow, I am ordering both a smash cheeseburger AND a friend chicken sandwich for lunch!

So, people in the industry seem to be circling September as the “back in action” month, but I am dubious.  I see a lot of plans floated around that include social distancing on sets, temperature checks, and testing of individuals exhibiting symptoms – but no mention of cast and crew wide testing to include potential asymptomatic cases.  Even then, there’s the danger of a key cast member getting sick and the entire production going down.  UNLESS we’re checking for antibodies (assuming immediate reinfection isn’t a thing), but I’m already seeing some pushback to the notion of giving “preferential treatment” to those with potential immunity.  So…I don’t know.  With the prospect of a second wave looming in November, I don’t know how any series can start production in the fall.  UNLESS you have a fantastic series idea that incorporates “elements of caution” as part of its creative.  Like, maybe the sci-fi series pitch sitting in my send folder.

#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked

And I continue my quest to read #AGraphicNovelADay for the foreseeable future…

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9 responses

  1. Randy Colemam Avatar
    Randy Colemam

    Hi Joe
    The only way I can see any production proceeding would be a one character piece. Say an astronaut that crash landed on a planet that looked eerily similar to Algonquin Park. He/she spends their day talking to an alien that looks a lot like a squirrel. Hilarity ensues.

    Hopefully this all ends soon…

    Elminster

    Reply
  2. gforce Avatar
    gforce

    I’m ambivalent about the sugary yolks – but I’d be willing to try it at least once!

    For production to ramp up in the Fall, wouldn’t that necessitate a lot of non-social distancy type situations for quite a while beforehand? I can see some trying it, and maybe for existing productions it might work(?). Not to say that it would be safe. I keep reminding myself of the Spanish Flu numbers where the first wave was pretty small, but the second wave in in the Fall was huge. Then again, that had huge numbers of people returning from Europe from the war, so that would be different. Hmm. I guess the gradual, measured approach really is the best idea.

    Reply
  3. Drea Avatar
    Drea

    “Guys, I’m going to do it! Tomorrow, I am ordering both a smash cheeseburger AND a friend chicken sandwich for lunch!”

    Uh. ….. Just outta … uh …curiosity. opens eyes apprehensively wide and gulps
    which friend are you planning on consuming?

    Finally found an open chinese food takeout about 1.5 miles up the road to get my fried pork dumpling fix.
    Turns out, It wasn’t really all that satisfying.
    but it was definitely better than not having any at all.
    I’m still pining for hot pastrami on rye with mustard though. 🙁

    Good luck with the haircut tomorrow.
    Glad to hear Akemi has decided to get involved in the art of hair cutting.
    She definitely needed another creative outlet beyond gardening
    and becoming an excellent bread berkleyer.
    I’m thinking you’d look kinda sexy with a nice lightning bolt shaved on one side of your head.

    Suggestion: Munificent batch of drunkin’ uncles
    and an even larger dose of bourbon to wash em down
    before she begins.

    Reply
  4. DP Avatar
    DP

    Brilliant. Hit send.

    Preferential treatment for people with antibodies would end up encouraging people to get infected or fake antibody certs or sell their CoVID-touched blood to people wanting to fake antibody certs.

    Reply
    1. shinyhula Avatar
      shinyhula

      Docs don’t know yet if ppl can be reinfected or how long immunity lasts, or even if antibodies provide immunity from getting another wallop. There are anecdotal cases of folks having symptoms come back or getting covid 19 again, but no one knows, so best be cautious. Plus docs say Covid will likely strike again next winter. Perhaps some cool green screen can place multiple actors in the same scene while acting in different well ventilated rooms. You’d need hospital level Airborne Infectious Disease specialists, medical consultants but especially for sci fi it could work to do some Orphan Black level wizadry to make it work.

      Reply
  5. tamdixon Avatar
    tamdixon

    Akemi does everything well, so you’re in good hands.

    No on the egg yolk.

    Covid is in our lives forever now. When the vaccine becomes available, will you require that for each cast member, or crew?

    Here’s an idea for you: https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/icmr-approves-antibody-tests-in-covid-19-hotspot-areas-1585911909-1

    Reply
  6. nantokanaru77 Avatar
    nantokanaru77

    Is it even possible to physical distance on set?

    Reply
  7. Drea Avatar
    Drea

    Physical distancing on set?

    No need. Just hire a main cast of actors that already reside in the same household and supporting actors with experience performing physically interactive scenes solo on green screen.
    I bet Alan & Marie Ruck would do it. And while Bruce Willis and Demi Moore are no longer married,
    they did spend an entire month holed up, often in close proximity, in the same house with daughter Rumor during quarantine. Video game actors usually know how to do physical interactions and dialogue on green screen, using a mannequin for stand in. And if I remember correctly?, David Hewlett did some interactive scenes solo for SG and/or DM didn’t he?

    Writers room, auditions, and script walk throughs can be done via video conference.
    Sets can be designed and erected in phases so you never need more than a couple people at one physical location at an any given time.

    Albeit, you would have to hire at least a dozen extra cleaning crew to disinfect every prop, computer, and piece of equipment touched throughout the day. There would also be the added VFX and film editing expense to seamlessly splice together all the interactive scenes performed separately. And each actor would need their own dedicated personal hair and makeup person that attends only them throughout the entire production. And Camera & lighting crews would have to get a bit creative in order to meet social distancing guidelines.
    But sure. Why not, eh? Start now. Tack on an extra 4-6 months to the making of Season 1, and add another 2-5 million+ $$dollars$$ to the production budget, and you’ll have yourself a show to air by next summer. 😀

    Reply
  8. PBMom Avatar
    PBMom

    I’m sure the haircut will go fabulously; it’s Akemi we are talking about.

    As far as trying to pick up on a production or even start a production, I just don’t see it either. I’m curious to see if they will allow school to go back into session in August here (the second or third week of August is usually our start time for that). They are trying to figure out graduations here. The Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavilion where they have all the concerts is the place they have graduation ceremonies for all the high schools. There are about 1000 kids in each and they usually limit guests to 4. That would be per high school. They have 4 of them and then they heard another one north of their district just cancelled theirs so they were going to see if The Pavilion could work it for them too. They would have the time available because all the other things, like concerts, are cancelled. It is an open air facility. They were thinking maybe they would need to cut it down to 25% of the students with just 2 guests for each student to be able to maintain the social distancing; that would be 4 different dates for each high school’s graduating class. But it sounds like it would be absolutely doable. Here is a picture of the place.
    https://www.woodlandscenter.org/rentals

    Reply

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